Once Upon A Time
by ganya-4-f-r
Summary: This story takes place nearly 21 years after Chosen. Its a bit AU on the facts that Anya didn't die saving Andrew, Andrew saved Anya. (The way it SHOULD have happened) Also, Anya was pregnate with the oldest Harris child, Alex who was concived in the ep


As Rae walks into the house. It had long went dark and dusty. The only light shining threw the house was the sun light coming threw the windows. She had less then four hours of day light left to get in get what she wanted, pack it up in her car and be back at base before sunset.

She went to the attic first. Her cloths could be bought again.. The other things, her blanket she slept with till she was 14 years old, her dolls and teddy bears, and old paper awards were more important. Those were the things that could never be replaced. The things that were left in the attic so some day.. A day like this those things could be remembered.

As she passed in the kitchen the smell hit her like a brick wall. The smell of dinner from three weeks ago left out after being caught off guard by those.. Monsters. And most of all and the one that hit her the hardest, the blood.Rae covers her mouth and walks threw the house a little faster. The army men gave her just a little time to get these things or they were coming after her. She opens the door to the attic and walks in. She grabs the few things that she knew she wanted and set by the door way.

She turns around trying to decide on what to take first, then her eye catches something.. Something she never seen before, tucked away in a safe little corner. Rae climbs over a few boxes and old furniture to get it. She sets on the ground and looks at the box with its funny shaped lock. She picks up the lock and looks at it closer, then her finger is sliced on a razor sharp edge. As Rae puts her finger into her mouth the lock automatically opens and falls to the ground. Rae opens the box and a cloud of silvery red shimmers climb out of the box and engulfs her.

Shaking her head and waving a hand in front of her face the dust quickly disappears. Rae looks closer into the box as she remember slowly the details of a day about two years after she was adopted. She remembers her adopted mother saying,_ 'No.. She's adjusting now.. You can't just take her away back to that.. Place..'_

_Another woman, a red head, at the time Rae had already forgotten her name, she just remembered her as the tree lady. The tree lady pleaded, 'please.. She's our family.. We need her..'And her mother saying, 'But what about what she needs. She needs to be raised by a family, in a home that is safe..'_

_Rae sets at the top of the stairs, somewhere between 8 and 9 years old watching her new parents fight with the red headed tree lady and some other blond woman. The blond woman steps up and says, 'Look.. We want to take her to a place we know she is safe because we can take care of her.. Not leave her here on the other side of the US in obviously in danger..' Then her dad steps in. 'She has a new name now.. And no memories of you or what happened before she ever got here.. What kind of life can you give her? One where she is constantly running? Fighting for every thing she has? A child deserves to be a child, not a monster fighter or a world saver..'The women look at each other. The tree lady.. Willow.. Rae remembers finally.. Willow hold the blond back. 'He's right Buffy.. Maybe she dose need to stay..'_

_The blond, Buffy, shakes her head violently. 'I can't believe you Will.. We are taking about Xander and Anya's daughter! Xander.. Remember him? The one we promised we would look out for his kids if something happened to him?'_

'_Buffy I remember.. But.. What is best for her? Seriously? Is this the time for us to be greedy? Is it better for her if she stays with us?'_

'_Willow...'_

_Willow doesn't wait for Buffy to finish before she asks Rae's parents, 'Ok..Let us talk to her, let US say our good byes.. She won't remember a thing after this..'_

_Some how her parents allowed the blond and the red head to see her. They set on either side of her bed with her in the middle as Rae showed off several items. She didn't know the women, she didn't care if she ever found out who the women were. She just knew these women wanted to see her, and that made her feel special enough._

_Buffy sets down a doll and asks the girl, 'So.. What is your name?'_

'_Rae.. Well its Victoria.. But I really don't like it.. It so..' Rae sticks out her tongue. 'Blah..'_

_Both women smiled sadly. Willow even touched her head. Even as a little girl Rae could tell that the women were trying hard not to cry._

_Willow, clearing her throat first then asks, 'So what do you wanna do? When you grow up?'_

_Rea, with out a second thought, 'I want to be a veterinarian.. I like animals, Dad says when taxes come in, he's going to get me a couple of rabbits. I like rabbits..'_

_Rae couldn't figure out why but both women looked at each other and burst out laughing._

'_What's so funny about that?'_

_Willow shakes her head, 'nothing sweety, its just someone we knew hated rabbits. She says they're evil and hell bent on taking over the world..'_

_Rae makes a face, 'Who would be afraid of rabbits?' She shrugs and sets some stuffed animals back in a corner. 'Can I tell you something.. You can't tell no one?' Both women set in closer to hear. 'I don't like clowns.. Now clowns are evil..' _

_Willow smiles sadly again and brushes Rae's hair down, 'Nothing wrong with being afraid of clowns..' _

_Buffy pulls Rae into a tight hug. 'We will tell no one.. Our lips are sealed.'_

Rae leans into the hug. Something about these women seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Rae pulls back into her self. As she looked at other things, bunny ears and fake teeth another memory pops into her head.

'_I am little bunny Fu im going to get you.. I will come in your window and take off with your head..' _

_Then a little boy screams, 'MOM! SHE'S DOING IT AGAIN!'_

_Then a blond woman walks up behind her. 'How many time's have I told you.. It's ok to try and play scary but these young lady are too far..' The ears are taken off her head._

'_Mom..'_

'_Why can't you be a normal child and be a tak'la demon instead?'_

'_Cause a tak'la demon is boring mom..' _

Rae pulls out a box of several pictures. Some of a blond woman with a dark haired man.. A few of the Blond and Red head woman. One with Buffy holding a blond baby girl. Then one of the Blond woman from the second memory holding a small little boy and girl, they are waving and smiling at the camera. Another picture of the dark haired man the blond and the boy together. All smiles for the camera. She sits there staring at these pictures none of the people she really knew...

'_MOMMY!' _

'_Stay in this closet, baby.. Stay here until someone lets you out..'_

'_No.. Mommy..'_

Rae snaps back to herself quickly. Breathing heavily, scared out of her wits. She slams the lid shut and gets up. She stumbles back over the things in her way and sets the box on the other things she was taking with her.

Taking the things with herstuff the things in the trunk for safe keeping for now. She hurries about the house trying to gather things together. She gets out of her driveway just in time to meet up with two army guys who escort her back to the military camp.

Over the corse of several weeks Rea tries to search for the people from her memories. At the same time several gangs of what were first called wanna be a vampire cults but later became really are-a-be vampire cults teamed up with demons and were slowly advancing toward the eastern part of the USA. There was even talk about eventfully dropping nukes on these vampires and demons. Talk that eventfully became actions.

Then.. A brake for Rae in her search. She was allowed access to her adoption files. She read her birth parents names, Alexander Harris and Anya Jenkins Harris. She had two names to add to her list. At least these two had last names.

While looking threw the database on the military camps she looked up her father's name. Only to be disappointed to find out his death date was just her birthday. An obituary said he left behind a wife, Anya and three children, Alex, Claire and Willow. Well it seemed to fit.. Her birth parents were both named Alexander and Anya.. But her name wasn't Willow.. Was it?

She finally searched up her mother's name. It took her literally hours to get threw all the information about her mother until she finally came up with her mother's obituary as well. It was dated just a few months before she turned 6. And said two daughters, Claire and Willow and a son, Alex was left behind.

Finally, she looked up the name Alex Harris.

All she could really get on that name was a young man, around 22 that currently lived in California.

Rae sets back in her chair and thinks. Then looks up Claire Harris. That name turned up the same information about a woman around 20 in California as well.

She might have a brother and a sister. A brother and sister.. That was still alive, maybe. She had at least a brother, sister and possibly more family. She could find a lot of answers out. Maybe find out who the two women were that visited her over 11 years ago. It would be extremely hard to reach California, but it could be done.. Was it worth it? What exactly did she have to lose? She had everything to possibly gain in finding him.

The next day Rae set out for an immediate transfer to their California camp. It turned out to be easier then Rae planned, she was well educated in sciences and they needed people over there. With in the week she was on a plane headed to California.

Once in California she had to go threw the battery of tests every human has to go threw to make sure she was human, now and days one couldn't be too careful. Teams of humans were now starting to protest demon rights out side the camp. She noted that the humans sure did get out of site way before sun down. The first night Rae sets at the windows and watches the crowed of humans slowly fade as it started to get dark. If they were so crazy about giving the demons rights, why would they be leaving so quickly?

A mans voice came into the conference room. 'I wonder what would happen when they see what those animals could really do..'

Rae turns around as a taller white man walks into the room and switches on the lights. Rae blinks a few times blinded by the bright artificial light. 'I don't know sir.. These are the same people 6 years ago were against the death penalty.. I guess they would move onto other bigger and what they think is more important things..' Rea makes her way across the room.

The older man sticks an arm out to shake Rae's hand. 'Admiral Riley Finn..'

'Rae' She catches her self and clears her throat. 'Victoria Jacobs..' Rae shakes the hand of the Admiral.

'I knew your family..' He comments as he sets down.

'You were stationed in West Virginia?' Rea asks as she sets as well.

'No.. Your real family.. Sorry. Your parents and their company were heros when all this started..' Admiral Finn sets a file in front of her. 'I know they are part of the reason you asked to be stationed here..'

'Yes sir..'

The Admiral's voice turns to into a commanding tone. 'Don't let the search for your family get in the way of your active duties. Your very important to our team..'

'Yes sir I understand..' Rae puts a hand on the files and information she was handed but doesn't open them.

'You and I both know that no one WANTS to be stationed here, everyone is trying to leave, no one wants to get in..' Rae looks down at the files. 'In there is enough information for you to find your brother, sister and anyone else that is relevant to your search.' Admiral Finn taps the files. The Admiral Stands up to walk out the door but faces her once more. 'You look a lot like her you know?'

Rae stands up to fallow the Admiral, 'Who sir?' Rae puts the files into a neat pile and picks them up.

'Your mother..'

Rae's interest is defiantly peaked. 'You knew my mother sir?'

Admiral Finn smiles and nods, 'Oh yes.. And your father as well..'

Rae quickens her steps to catch back up with Admiral Finn. 'If you don't mind, sir can I ask what they were like?'

Finn nods and takes a breath trying to describe Anya Harris in a few but nice comments. 'Your mother.. She defiantly had a way with words..'

Rae confused, 'I'm sorry sir, I don't understand.. You say that like it's a bad thing.'

Finn stops and Rea takes two or three steps ahead as she turns around and faces him. 'Your mother.. How can I say this.. Your mother would say things.. Personal things, with out even batting an eye lash to the fact she wasn't supposed to say those things in public.'

Rae nods, still not understanding. 'I see..'

Finn starts walking again. 'Also your mother had a knack for saying something like she had sex last night several times.. And NEVER actually say those exact words.'

Rae mouths, 'oh..' Then starts to think for a second. She wasn't quite sure she had the right people any more. Her mother sounded nothing like herself.

Finn stops at a dormitory and hands Rae a set of keys. 'Your father.. Your father he was different, I have to give him credit for handling your mother all those years. He was funny at times, annoying at others. He always had some smart assed or sarcastic remark ready. We had our differences, but.. but a great guy none the less.'

Rae takes the keys and smiles, 'Thank you, sir.'

Rae opens the door and looks in. 'It's not much agent.. But its safe warm and its home now..'

Rae nods, 'Its much bigger then my room at home..' Her voice cracks as she thinks of her parents, her adoptive ones.

Finn puts a hand on Rae's shoulder. 'Your training schedule will be e-mailed to you by tomorrow night, It will have your Class times and your brakes. Be sure to memorize every bit of it, You will be expected to fallow it by Monday.'

Rae nods, 'Yes sir..'

Finn smiles and nods himself, 'Your Fighting Classes will be toward the end of the day, believe me those are better then, helps blow of steam you built up in the day..'

Rae swallows, 'Fighting sir?'

'Yes.. We expect all the people here to be able to fully handle themselves by themselves.'

Rae nods visibly shaken at the thought of training to fight. Most of these people have been here their whole lives.. They had to learn to fight. Rae, she lead a sheltered life, when trouble started she was put somewhere safe. Rae looks outside a window as a memory starts to pop into her head.

'_Baby.. Just stay there.. Mommy will be right back..'_

'_Mommy! No! Hide with me..' _

'_I can't.. Just be very very quiet baby..' _

Rae snaps back to her reality again, 'Agent..'

Rae looks up at Admiral Finn, 'Sir?'

Admiral Finn looks concerned at Rae. 'Are you alright agent?'

'Yes sir..' Rae nods softly. 'I'm sorry, sir.. Since I found out all about this new family I may or may not have things have been coming and going threw my mind.. Memories I forgotten along time ago.'

Finn nods knowingly, 'Ah.. Willow did mention a memory spell for you.'

Rae's head pops up and she looks at Finn and asks, 'You knew Willow?'

Finn smiles, his commanding tone gone once again. 'Yes.. I did.'

Rea, forgetting about commanders and rank and respect, walks back over to Finn. 'Where is she? She and this blond girl.. Buffy! Buffy and Willow they came to see me it was the first memory I had. They laughed cause I wasn't afraid of bunnies..'

Finn smiles, 'Down soldier.' Finn puts his hands in front of him. 'Willow was killed soon after she returned from your visit.. As for Buffy.. Buffy died a few years later.'

Rae looks down at her feet disappointed, 'Oh.. I'm sorry sir.'

'As for the bunny thing..' Finn gestures to a seat as if to ask if he may sit down, Rae nods and sets on the other end of the couch. 'Your mother.. Had the worst fear of bunnies.. No one knew why.. She just hated bunnies..' Finn smiles at a memory of his own, 'I asked her one time but all she said was bunnies are evil, wouldn't elaborate on that much.. She was really tore up after your father died.'

Rae nods and just whispers, 'I see..'

Admiral Finn stands up once more and puts a hand on Rae's shoulder and grips it tightly. 'No.. I don't think you do..' Finn lets go of Rae's shoulder and walks to the door, once more becoming the commanding officer he was. 'Now.. Agent, I left a few other papers you might be interested in on the desk in the kitchen. After a few weeks, you can decide to fill them out if its what you choose to do.'

The Admiral leaves the dorm room. Rae looks around for a just a brief second. It had a couch, a love seat and what could pass for an entertainment center in the living room. To the back of the room was a Dining room of sorts, a table with four chairs. To the left of the dinning room was a kitchen which consisted of a stove, refrigerator a counter and a sink. Small but accommodating for a young woman just barely 19 and on her own for the first time.

Rae sets the folder on the kitchen table and walks into the bed room. It was small, anything larger then her twin bed in the corner would be too big. It had its usual closet and dresser. It defiantly wouldn't hold much more. Her bags and suit cases that were brought up already and set in the corner, made that room look even smaller.

She walks out of the bed room and opens to door to a bathroom. Nothing special there, bath tub shower sink and toilet. No closets just a medicine cabinet over the sink. Shutting that door she stands in the middle of her living room. Just a broom closet.

The room was extremely dull and bare. Not a home yet. Not like the one she left behind for this new life she was hoping against all odds was going to start soon.

Finally setting at the dinning table she stares at the files that Admiral Finn left for her to look at. She had three days till Monday. After a few minuets, which could easy been an hour or so, Rae finally opens the folder. The first folder was marked, Harris, Alexander, Sr. It had to belong to her father. She scans those files quickly.

The second folder, her mother's was at least three times as thick. She didn't really read much into her mother's folder. What caught her attention again was the death certificate. Rae noticed a certain detachment while reading this, like she was reading a book. Not like she was reading a very graphic detailed account of her mother's death, which included crude drawings.

Rae sighs and puts those files away. Tossing it on top of her father's file. She sifted threw some others that rang no bells to her, Giles, Rupert.. McClay, Tara.. Summers, Dawn.. Spike.. Burkle, Winifred.. None of those names meant anything to her right now. Then she came across a name that she remembered. Rosenberg, Willow.

She opened the file and read on. The first page contained a photograph of the red headed girl in her memory. Several pages she came across something that really interested her. Willow was a witch. I real witch.. Rae made a mental note to ask or at least check of there was more in that field she could explore.

The next file was extremely thick, thick as her mothers. Summers, Buffy. She flipped threw the file absentmindedly and sighed, nothing really that mattered right now. Not in hopes of finding her brother. She sets the file on top of the ever growing list of files.

The next was her brothers, Harris, Alexander, Jr. Rae looks at the file itself for a while. Questioning rather or not she really HAD to know this stuff. Was it right of her to butt into her brother's life? The brother she had no memory of, who wouldn't remember her if asked about today? The very same brother that should have forgotten about her years ago just like she forgotten about him?

The next one was Harris, Claire. She set that one on top of the one in front of her.

Rae pushes the files further in front of her and moves on. There was other files of other names she didn't recognize. Burkle, Ashlee.. Summers, Angela.. Those were set on top of the files to her right. Then all that was left was one more file. No name just a file folder. She opens it and glances at the pictures inside, All pictures.

Mostly of the Blond woman that were in the box. One really caught her eye it had the blond wearing a birthday hat along with two other blond woman, one being Buffy, the red head, two dark haired men, one obviously being Admiral Finn when he was younger, the other also in her pictures. A young girl all standing smiling at a camera. On the back was wrote, Anya, Tara, Buffy, Me, Xander, Riley and Dawn: Tara's birthday party The Bronze, 2000. Flipping the picture over she realizes the blond she had so many pictures of had to be her mother and the man was her father.

'Xander..' Rae whispers softly. 'They called you Xander..' To Rae if felt really good to actually know this. Like it was extremely important she should know this. She taps her nail on the picture just below her mothers chin. 'How about you? Is Anya a nickname or what?' Then she felt really embarrassed talking to an picture in which most of the people in it were dead now. But for now it was all she had.

Finally putting the picture aside Rae takes a few more. Setting one's of her mother next to her father, trying to figure out just where exactly she got her looks from. She could see a lot of her mother in her, a bit of her father, mostly her mother. Except for the hair, she had her father's hair. Finally she came across newer pictures. Or what Rae assumed where newer pictures.

One of her parents and a little boy and a little girl. Xander was holding the boy while an extremely pregnant Anya held the little girl and had her free hand on Xander's arm. On the back it had Halloween and the year she was born. In fact Halloween was only a week before her birthday.

Rae looks at the picture closely. This was barely a week before she was born and her father died. This was the time they were the happiest. They were an actual family here, a father, a mother a good looking, healthy son and daughter and a baby on the way. Despite all that had to be going on, they were happy.

There was a few pictures underneath. Even though she had been close to tears this whole time one made her finally made her cry. One of Anya, holding the same little boy and girl and Xander holding a baby. Even though Anya was extremely tired looking it was obviously she was happy. Xander was grinning as was the little boy. It was their first family picture and only family picture. She couldn't stop staring at the picture. She realized her father had seen her. He had touched her and looked at her. And before he died he was the happiest man in the world, if even for a few hours..

Finally Rae puts the pictures away. Then she sits and stares at the last file. The one she wasn't so sure she had a right to look at. She cant touch it, she just looks at it.

'_Anya!' _

'_No.. A four year old child does not.. That mean should not, by any means with out a doubt , need to know how to float things..'_

'_Anya.. Wait..' Willow stands in front of Rae and her mother, 'Before you jerk her arm off.. Listen.' _

_Anya shakes her head, 'No! Willow, I'm sorry but she should be learning her alphabet and numbers not spells and incantations. She can brake things with out trying.. I really don't need her braking things by trying..'_

_Rae insists, 'I know my Alphabet.. In five languages_!'

_Willow smiles at Rae then tells Anya, 'She is a smart girl..'_

'_Yes.. She's very smart.. BUT, There is a lot more things that need to be taught first, Magics isn't one of them.' _

'_Why? Are you afraid she will pop a bunny out of a hat?' Willow smiles as she makes a joke._

_Anya give a frustrated groan and starts pulling Rae down a hall again. 'Definitely not now.. Thanks for bringing that up..' _

_Willow pulls Anya to a stop, 'Anya what is your problem.'_

'_My problem is.. She learns magics.. Right? She wants to know bigger spells. The bigger the spells are, the more powers she gains.. The more power she has.. The more useful she becomes the..' Anya takes a step closer to Willow, 'THEM.' She whispers. 'Which puts her in danger.. Just like it did you, me, and Xander..' _

_Anya steps aside Willow and walks toward their apartment. _

_Willow stops for a second and thinks then fallows Anya agian. 'Fine.. I'm sorry alright? I wasn't thinking.' _

_Anya steps into their apartment, 'Damn straight you weren't.' Anya finally lets go of Rae's hand. 'If this was any other time, Willow, I would be yes.. Teach her all you know.. But, you know as well as I know, the less she knows the safer we all are..'_

_Willow shuts the door to the apartment, 'Yes.. Your right I said I was sorry. I just got excited, she wanted to know what I knew and I just.. I realize its not safe.. Just got caught up in the whole I get to teach someone something thing..' Willow said in a pleading voice._

The room gets dark..

'_Mommy!' Rae fights to not get put into the closet. _

_Anya kneels down and looks at her daughter in the face. 'You have to stay safe, be very very quiet baby..'_

_Rae grabs onto her mother for dear life and refuses to let go, digging her nails into her mother's arms drawing blood. 'Hide with me mommy!'_

'_Just stay quiet baby.. I will come back for you when I know its safe..' _

_Rae is forced to let go of her mother's arms and is pushed roughly into the closet and the door is slammed shut, muffling her cries. Rae bits her lips and gets as far back into the closet as she can. The door comes open just a little bit and Rae looks out._

_A man's voice is heard though he isn't seen. 'Where is the girl?'_

_Her mother's voice is shaken but firm, 'Not here.. Leave..' _

_The man's voice is amused, 'Not a chance, She's not the one I want.. Yet, You and I have unfinished business to deal with..' Anya is pushed toward the wall..._

Rae jumps to her feet gasping for air. She looks around the apartment confused at first then remembers where she is at. She sits down and tries to remember the dream, but can only remember bits and peices of it. She runs her fingers threw her hair and yawns.

After taking a shower and getting dressed Rae walks out of the apartment. Not even aware of the fact she didnt know where to go or anything. It was 5 am here.. Not the 8 am her internal clock said it was. She knew the rules, no going out side unless its day light. It wasn't one she was going to brake anytime soon. So she made her way toward the Cafeteria and got a cup of coffee. Rae looked around only one other person was there besides her and that man didn't look like much to talk to. So she sets alone for the time being.

'So.. You're the new girl..' A girls voice says behind her.

Rae sets up and turns around. 'Um.. Yea..'

The girl sets next to Rae, 'yea.. Its really obvious.. You actually requested to come here?'

'Word gets around.. If this is your table I can leave..'

The girl shakes her head, 'No.. No one really stays here long enough to make a table.. I'm Kimberly by the way..'

'Rae..'

'You're a Next Gen uh?'

Rae takes a sip of her coffee. 'A what now?'

The girl sets a plate of doughnuts in front of Rae. 'A next gen.. We call them that here.. The children of the original Scoobies.'

'The dog?' Rae reaches for a doughnut.

Kimberly laughs, 'No.. The ones that started it all.. The HEROS..'

'Sorry, I don't know what your talking about..'

'Your mother is Anya.. Your dad is Xander.. Your brother is Alex..'

Rae nods and looks at the girl, 'Is that good or bad?'

'Its great.. Here it is.. Gives you a leg up if u know what I mean..'

'Agian with the no.. sorry.. totally new here..' Rae takes a bite of her doughnut.

The girl leans in closer. 'I'm just saying.. You being you.. You have a free ride here, would be nice if say.. You helped your so called friends say.. Cash in on it with you..'

Rae give her a knowing look and nods. 'Yes.. I mean it would only be.. Right you know, if I HELPED my friends with my luck of having the genes I have.. That's what your saying?'

The girl nods. 'Yes.. I mean they over look your brother and Ashlee and all the trouble they get into.. They would do the same for you..'

Rae sets the doughnut down on the table. 'And me.. What do my FRIENDS give me in the process.'

Kimberly smiles, 'Ok.. No beer allowed near the dorms right.. Well.. You help us out.. Well share in the.. Profits you know..'

Rae smiles bigger and says, 'I'll tell you what.. Let me see what I can do and I'll.. You know.. Help a few friends out..' She pats the girls arm and stands up. 'Now.. If you don't mind.. I have to find a track.. Frustrations to work out..'

Rae leaves the room quickly. It was day light finally and everyone was safe to run out side, barring demons she pretty much had the run of the compound. It was sunny here rather then the in the middle of the woods darkness that didn't matter if it was noon, vampires could have the run all day long. Also it was in the mountains a place where it was dawn at 11 in the morning and dark by 3 in the afternoon.

Rae dose some streching exercises and looks around. People were starting to come out side now. The camp was getting busy with Military personal, cilivians and.. Other people.. Rae stands still as a tall blue man with gold eyes and yellow hair walks by 10 feet in front of her.

'Hello..' The demon smiles sweetly and walks on.

'Hi..' Rae responds not sure of what she was seeing. He had to be a demon, but he walked by like nothing was out of the ordinary. She shook it off and starts her streching exercises once more. Once she started to run she felt much better. She ran to the edge of the compoud and stands at the fence. The ocean was only 20 yards a head of her from the gate. Never having seen the ocean before she stares at it for a long while.

'If you want.. You can get out and swim. Just.. You have to be back before sun set.' Another young girl stands next to her. This one was blond and tanned. A woman who loved her sun and would pay dearly in they years to come with skin cancers and wrinkles.

'I thought we couldn't leave with out a spical pass..'

'I didn't say leave.. We have a spical area blocked off.. You just have to be in before sun set.' The girl grabbed her arm and lead the way. 'Your new uh?'

'Yea..'

'Well.. Join the club.. Your parents were part of the Scoobie Gang, right?'

Rae sighs and nods. 'Yea.. Next Gens.. I was told..'

'Yea.. Well it's a nice club to get into.. You if u had the luck..' The blond girl says it in a scarcastic voice and rolls her eyes. 'Meaning.. Lucky in u weren't born into it..'

'Your one?'

'Yep..' The girl shakes her head. 'Oh.. I'm Ashlee by the way. Ashlee Burkle. And I could never see what is so lucky about us. Our parents were picked off one by one first of all.'

'Oh.. They gave me your file to look at, I didn't of course, but I have it still.'

The Pair travel around the fence line as it get closer and closer to the ocean until it finally just opens out in to open water. Ashlee sets down on a blanket. 'Here you'll need this your already turning red..' Rae catches a bottle of sun block.

'Yea.. We didn't much in the way of sun where I lived.'

'The Mountains.. Yea everyone knows. I remember you when we were kids..'

'Do you?' Rae sits down as she applys the sun block on her arms at first.

'Yes.. My dad and your parents were Scoobies..My mother was a Fang Gang member for a while.' Ashlee sighs. 'I remember the day your mother died.. My dad was supposed to have got you and your sister and brother and brought you home with us. But, he died soon after.'

'I'm sorry to hear that.' Moving to her face and finally handing Ashlee back the sun block. 'What the fang gang?'

'Oh.. The second front, he one that was supposed to hold the first back if the scoobies failed.. But they failed as well.. Angel and his crew.' Ashlee sets back and leans on her arms.

'And your mom?' Rae unzips the jacket and opens it a little bit.

'One day went to work and left me with Willow.. Didn't come home agian.'

'Are all of our parent's dead?'

Ashlee nods, 'Pretty much yea..'

'So.. I went to the mountians.. Where did you go?'

Ashlee shrugs. 'Well.. We.. Meaning Alex, Angela, Nat and I.. We stayed with Giles.. Then Willow... By the time she died, we could take care of our selves. But Dawn was our guardian.. Do Not cross that woman.. Believe me.' Ashlee looks at the sand. 'Well.. Alex, Nat and I mostly.. Angela just got here 3 or 4 years ago.'

Rae looks out over the ocean. 'And that makes up our so called group?'

'Yea..' Ashlee stands up and offers her hand to Rae. 'What do you say we go for a swim?'

'No.. I'm not really dressed..' Rae stands up.

Ashlee shrugs. 'Sure you are.. No one comes around here but our group. Everyone is still too scared cause of this Dolphin demon we had last month..' Ashlee smiles evilly as she pulls Rae to the shore.

'Demon?' Rae starts to pull back a little.

'It was nothing.. Really, someone was pulling their weight.. And SOMEONE..' Ashlee points to herself, 'Just created a demon to.. you know.. Protect our local inhabitant.'

Rae looks at Ashlee astonished, 'You made a demon?'

Ashlee, 'Yea.. From a dolphin..' Ashlee stops walking. 'Hey.. The dolphin is just fine, if you're an animal lover.. It was changed back in 48 hours. And it remembers nothing. Also.. No one was hurt badly..' Ashlee shrugs, 'Well. Actually no one was killed, that's got to account for something..'

'You really made a demon?' Rae finally allows her self to be pulled toward the water.

'Not moving from that thought soon are we?'

The girls get to the ocean. Rae takes off her shoes and steps into the water. 'It's cold..'

'Well duh.. It doesn't have those fancy heated pools your so used to..'

Rae walks out into the ocean until the water is above her ankles. Behind and to the left of her she hears a splash as Ashlee jumps into the water. Rea just walks till she feels the water drop off with her feet and she just stands and looks.

So far in to day one, she found one person who had good friend potential. And she was part of a club, how good being part of the club was going to be she didn't know, but it looked so far so good. She walks a little then suddenly she slices her foot on something. She jumps at the sudden pain and ends up stumbling over the drop off and falling into the water.

Rae tries to reach the surface and gasps for air from the shock of the cold water and the pain in her foot from the salt in a fresh wound.

Ashlee swims beside her and comments, 'I was going to say its better if u just jump in..'

Rae pays very little attention to her as she makes her way back to where she cut her foot at. She reaches down carefully and pulls up a strange looking ax by the blade. Holding the ax in front of her and shows Ashlee.

Ashlee takes the ax by the handle. 'Wow..'

'Yea.. It looks brand new still..'

'All pretty and shinny..'

Rae picks up her still bleeding foot. 'And sharp too..'

Ashlee looks at Rae's foot, 'We better get you to a medic. It looks like you might need stitches..'

Rae nods. Ashlee helps Rae limp to the medic office. After the doctor looked at Rae's foot and told them it didn't need stitches, he just bandaged up Rae's foot and told her, 'It's your lucky day.. Your caught up on your tetanus.. So..' He sets Rae's folder down, 'Are ready to go..'

Rae jumps off the table and hops on one foot. As the doctor give off orders on if and when to come back. And as Rae was leaving the doctor warns, 'And be careful I don't need anymore of you and your next gens in here..'

Rae just smiles and fallows Ashlee, who is holding the ax at her side. 'Do we visit often?'

'Oh yea.. Quite.. Mostly to get out of classes or something..' Ashlee holds the ax up and looks at it. 'This thing has writing on it..'

Rae takes the ax from Ashlee and looks at it. 'Yea.. What is that.. Letters?'

Ashlee shrugs, 'Don't ask me.. You were the one with all the language skills.'

'Really?'

Ashlee shrugs, 'Yea.. If I remember, you knew probably 7 or 8 human languages and 10 or 12 demon ones.'

Rae just shrugs as Ashlee opens a door and they climb a flight of stairs. 'Don't anymore..'

'Yea.. Willow's spell.. She said that when its time everything will come back to you.. Eventual.'

Rae and Ashlee stands outside an office and Ashlee stops and looks at Rae, 'Ok.. She's a bitch at times.. But she's our only real link to who our parents are. If you really, REALLY want to know about your parents.. She would be the one to ask, She was raised around them most of her life.' Ashlee reaches our and grabs the door knob. 'She is the last surviving member of the original scoobies.'

'So.. She's a celebrity?'

'Might as well be..' Ashlee turns the door knob and opens it and walks inside, all of a sudden cheery. 'Auntie Dawn!'

Before Rae steps into the room she hears a woman's voice, 'Ashlee, I told you.. I'm not your Auntie.'

'Sure you are..'

Rae steps in and sees a woman setting at her desk writing on papers. 'What do you want? I told you if you got in trouble one more time you would have to deal with it your self..'

'Nope.. No trouble..' Ashlee gestures toward Rae even though Dawn still hasn't looked up. 'I bought you a new friend..'

Dawn looks at Ashlee first then glances at Rae. Dawn slowly stands up as Rae walks into the office still holding the ax at her side. 'Oh.. My.. God..' Dawn sets the pen on her desk and walks to the other side.

'Hi.. I'm Rae.. Um Victoria Jacobs.. We just..' Rae was about to hold up the ax as Dawn rushes toward her and hugs her tightly. 'Um..' Glances at Ashlee.

'I'm sorry I knew you were showing up but...' Dawn lets Rae go and returns to her more, stricter self. 'Work..'

'Um.. Yea..'

Dawn stands at arm length from Rae and looks her up and down, 'Wow.. You are your mother..'

Rae tries to be polite while pointing out, 'So I am told.. Over and over..'

Dawn doesn't even acknowledge Rae said anything at all. Just pulls the girl to a chair. Rae sets down and Dawn sets on the arm. Too close for her comfort Rae tries to scoot over as far as she can. She wasn't so sure she liked Dawn now. Dawn almost smiles, 'So.. Your baby Willow.. Well back then we called you Adrienne, it was your middle name. Anya always said, she didnt want you and willow getting mixed up all the time and then said well big willow and little willow are too corny so she demanded we call you by your middle name..' Dawn clears her throat, 'So.. You have a new name now.. Victoria?'

'Every calls me Rae. Its also a middle name..'

Ashlee, deciding this was enough getting to know each other for a while brings up, 'Dawnie we found something you should take a look at..'

Rae lifts up the ax showing it to Dawn finally. Dawn sets up any trace of family remembrances gone from her face. 'Where did you find this?'

Rae points to her foot. 'My foot did.. We were in the ocean and walking and..'

Dawn stands finally and walks to her desk. 'You just found it?'

Ashlee answers. 'Yes.. Like she said we were..'

'I heard her Burkle..' Dawn snaps at Ashlee, which automatically makes Ashlee shut up.

Rae finally asks, 'Do you know what it is?'

'Yes..' Dawn's voice trails off. 'We named it the Slayer's Scythe.. It had something to do with the slayers and things..'

Rae looks at Ashlee then back at Dawn, 'The Slayer? She is real? I was told the Slayer was just a myth. I mean seriously.. One girl, chosen to protect the world from..'

Dawn and Ashlee both finish for her, 'Vampires, Demons and the forces of darkness..'

Then Ashlee adds, 'We know.. It's been rammed into our head only our whole lives..'

Rae just shrugs and says, 'I was just going to say bad things..' Rae gestures toward the ax, 'So this is the slayers toy? What is it doing in the ocean?'

Dawn, walking to her desk and setting the ax down. 'Um.. I don't know, when Willow's spell failed we ran.. Buffy almost didnt make it out, a lot of the potentials didn't at all..' Dawn looks up and sees Rae's confusion. 'Sorry.. See in May of.. I don't know..'

'2003?' Ashlee offers.

'Yea.. Well we being, Your parents, Anya and Xander.. Buffy, Faith, Willow, Giles, Spike..'

Ashlee raises her hand, 'My dad..'

'Yes Ashlee, that is your dad.. Anyway.. There was Andrew, and The potentials.. Amanda, Kennedy, Rona, Vi.. Whole bunch of others.. Me too.. We were supposed to fight the First.. Evil.. Willow was going to do this spell that made all the Potentials actual slayers.. She didn't get it done before The First's massive army of Uber Vamps took over. Realizing she was over ran she and what was left of us and got out of there. Leaving The First to do what ever it had planned. When The First got his power going he started coming after everyone that was left one by one.. Until now.. No one's left but a few of us..'

'Wow..' Rae stares at the older woman. 'And us? Are they after us now?'

'No.. Not that I really know of.'

Rae thinks back to her dream, 'The man that came into our house.. He said that..' Rea's voice drifts off then she catches her self. 'He said that he wasn't there for me, that him and my mother had unfinished business to deal with.'

'Your mother's murder was never solved.. You were there?' Dawn sets down on her desk.

'It only come's to me in bits and peices.. A little more now and then.'

'I seen what happened to her, Rae.. If you saw that it would be no wonder Willow had to do that spell on you... What do you remember.'

Rae gets a far off look in her eyes as she tries to remember. 'First.. Willow and my mother were arguing about rather or not Willow should teach me magics..'

'Yea.. I remember, you showed a lot of interest in the subject. Willow said it took her months to float a pen took you 4 hours.'

'Then next thing I remember is my mother putting me in this closet. And telling me to keep quiet.'

Ashlee interrupts this time and say, 'That's what my dad told me. That you were in a closet, pretty shaken up..'

Dawn pays no attention to Ashlee. 'You said a man?'

'Yea.. His voice.. I don't remember hearing it before.. But I don't remember seeing him either.. If I did at all. I only had this little crack to see what I seen.'

'Rae.. We would really like to know, who killed your mother..'

'And I told you I don't remember who did it. If I could I would love to help you.. But I can't and I don't know if I really want to remember.'

Dawn stands up and walks up to Rae once more. 'See.. Here is the problem, Rae sweety. Who ever killed your mother.. Killed Fred and Spike..' Dawn gestures to Ashlee.

Rae was about to ask about that when Dawn snaps, 'Fred's a woman!'

'Yea great, but how do we know for sure that is who killed my mother?'

Dawn grabs Rae shoulder. 'We do.. Now listen, Who ever killed them, a few years later kills Faith, Buffy, Willow, Giles, and a whole mess of others.. You get me? Now if our theory is right, Who ever.. WHATEVER did this should be coming back soon.'

Rae peices everything together, 'Meaning.. You're the only one left.. Your next. You don't want to solve my mother's murder.. You want to save your own ass.'

Dawn, rubbing her nose for a second. 'Why is it all of you come up with the same conclusion? Don't you get it? What ever is going after your parents is going after them exclusively. Alright.. When I'm gone, what will stop him..her or it to come after you? We can't find either of the concurrent slayers. The watchers co. isn't helping us out of fear this thing is coming for us. We're the only ones that know we're dealing with something. And you..' Dawn pokes Rae in the chest. 'Little girl, are the ONLY ones that has any clue as to what this thing can be.'

'And.. Like I said. I don't remember. I would like to help, but I don't think I want to remember what I saw. Seriously. My mother is dead and gone.. Finding out who killed her, isn't really going to change much because I don't think it can be stopped. You people are heros.. And it still killed you, what is knowing what it is going to stop it?'

Dawn finally gives up. 'Fine.. Your right..' She walks back to her desk and sets behind it. 'You might want to see this anyway..'

Dawn opens a lap top computer, runs her finger over the built in mouse pad and pushes a button hard. Before she turns the lap top around a young man's voice can be heard, 'Ouch! My goodness! Things look bad for the Slayer, don't they? She didn't see that second vampire, concealed by cover of darkness, ready..' There is a knock or something, but the man ignores it.

Dawn turns the computer in the middle of the knock. The man is younger, 20's maybe. Very messy blond hair and he looked kind of gay..

The young man carries on. '..ready to attack and make her his own vampirical spawn.'

Ashlee asks, 'Is vampirical even a word?'

Dawn shushes her and Rae watches closely at the monitor. The man says something about looking and seeing and the door opens. 'For God sakes Andrew.. You've been in here for 30 minuets, what are you doing?'

The woman who was talking, she was behind the camera. Andrew thinks for a second and says, 'Educating and entertaining..'

The woman behind the camera can be heard sighing, 'Why can't you just masturbate like the rest of us?' Rae bust out laughing, still not knowing who the woman was, or the man. It was just funny to her.

Andrew just looks at the camera and shrugs. Ashlee joins Rae by setting at the arm of the couch.

Who ever the woman was didn't give Andrew enough time to shut off the camera before she hauls him out of the bathroom. 'The story needs to be told!'

There is no pictures other then a floor, and a moving camera but voices can be heard. 'Bird need to fly and girl's have to use the toilet.. Why are you video taping your self, anyway? That sounds like kinky business to me..'

Andrew says something about people needing to know when Buffy wins and keeping track of what was lost in this battle. Then the woman says, 'Buffy seems to think that this apocalypse is going to actually be, you know, apocalyptic. I think your—your story seems pretty pointless..'

The camera jerks a little, 'Oh, I was gonna interview you later today,' The camera moves close to the woman were all u can see is a red skirt. 'Cause, you know, your whole perspective on the whole thing. Give it editorial balance and, uh, glamour...'

The woman completely changes her tune about the camera, 'Oh, well balance is important. People don't always take that into account. I could bring that to you. Absolutely.'

Dawn turns the computer around once more and fast forwards threw a lot of stuff. Then suddenly turns the computer around to face Rae and Ashlee agian.

On the screen in the corner Andrew's legs can be seen. Most of the screen is taken up, by who Rae immediately recognized as her mother and father. Rae sets in closer as Andrew says, 'This is Xander and Anya Interview Number 1 for "Buffy, a Slayer of the Vampyrs.'

Her mother asks, 'That's what you're calling it?'

'Either that or, _"Buffy, the Slayer Who Knew No Fear." _'

Her father comments, 'I like that one.'

The man on the other side of the camera says, 'Thank you, Xander that was sweet..'

Rae pays no attention to what exactly was said, more on really how it was said. Their mannerisms and facial expressions. Rae was more interested in how they looked at each other then what they said to each other. This was her parents before Alex was born or thought of. When it ended Dawn turned the computer around and turns it off.

'That's them?' Dawn mumbles as she takes out a disc and puts it into the computer. 'That would have been their first wedding anniversary.. As you can tell your dad left your mom at the alter first time around...'

'Really? And then what the eventually got married right?'

'Yes..' Dawn takes the Disc out of the computer and puts it in a case handing it to Rae. 'One day they come home and say we got married..' Rae takes the disc from Dawn. 'That was also the day they announced that your brother was on the way as well.'

Rae nodding, 'Really.. I didn't know..'

Dawn looks sad for a second. 'We didn't expect you would.. Your computer should be able to play that disc.'

Rae shakes her head, 'I'm sorry I don't have..'

'Yes you do, all agents have computers in their dorms. You just haven't looked yet. It's set up with everything you need already. Internet access, base files access everything you need to do what you are supposed to be doing. And don't try to hack into files your not set cleared to look at, they are locked for a reason..'

Rae nods once more and puts the disc into her still wet jacket.

Dawn stands up, 'And by the way.. I'm here anytime you need me. Which hopefully its not as much as some of the other Next Gens...' Dawn looks at Ashlee.

'I told you I had my reasons..'

Dawn nods, 'Yes.. We know..'

Ashlee and Rae stand up and walk toward the door. 'Now.. You two should go to your dorms, it will be dark soon enough. And it should be time for dinner soon anyway.'

Both girls leave the office. As they walk down the hallway toward the dorms. 'You better get a shower and warmed up. I don't know about you, but I'm freezing..'

'Yea..' Rae puts her shoes under her arm and takes the disc out of her pocket. 'Is your dad on this?'

'Yea.. You can't miss him.. He's the bleached blond guy with the Billy Idol envy.'

'Oh.. Who's Billy Idol?'

'They don't let you out much do they?' Rae shrugs. They reach Rae's dorm room and Ashlee says, 'I'm going to shower up.. I'll come back by around dinner time.'

Rae nods and walks into her dorm room, 'It was nice to meet you.. Agian..'

Ashlee walks off toward the other end of the hallway, 'Yea.. Same here..'

Ashlee disappears around a corner and Rae sets the disc on the table.

Rae quickly showers and changes into nice dry sweat pants. She finds her computer quickly with instructions on how to set it up. She opens her lap top and is quickly greeted with a mail box flashing after a few seconds of getting used to the mouse Rae click on the icon and is taken directly to her e-mailbox. She reads threw several letters, one including her schedule for Monday and the rules, nothing really interesting to her at this moment. She exits out of that box and inserts the disc.

She instantly recognizes the woman who is talking in the first part as her mother. Then there is a kitchen type scene. A mess load of girls around the kitchen.

The same man's voice comes over the speakers, 'It's morning in Sunnydale, and the women of command central take the time to fortify themselves for the day ahead.'

Then a loud, 'Hey!'

The camera spins around so that her father is in the screen, eating from a cereal box. 'Women and Xander..' The camera cuts off for a second and come back on agian. 'Things are tense in command central this morning. Buffy is clearly concerned with some unknown danger, and the air is filled with foreboding...'

The camera pans around to one of the younger girls saying, 'We're out of Raisin Bran..'

And her mother's voice saying, 'I'll put it on the list.'

'That's probably not the unknown danger..'

A lot more things were said then Andrew decides to tell all about other people in the room. Starting with an extremely annoyed looking Buffy. 'You've already met Buffy. She's beautiful, with a lion's heart and the face of an Angel. She's never afraid 'cause she knows her side will always win. Buffy and Spike,' The camera pans around to an extremely blond man who just rolls he's eyes. 'Have some kind of history you can feel the heat between them. Although, technically, as a vampire, he's room temperature..'

Before anyone can either of them could say anything the camera darts over the Anya, who is eating toast, 'Anya, a feisty waif with a fiery temper and a vulnerable heart that she hides, even from herself.'

Rae was starting to get bored with the video after her parent's interview and she was about to turn it off when suddenly the camera turned off. Rae set back knocking her cup of water onto the floor. She reached down to pick up the ice and she heard her mothers voice.

Her mother was setting on what appeared to be a table with the camera pointing at her. 'Is this on.. I don't really know much about technology.. Red lights blinking..' Anya shrugs and sets down in front of the camera. 'My name is Anya.. Jenkins.. SHOULD have been Harris by now, but its not and that is beyond the point.. Today's the day.. We are going to fight the first. And I don't know IF I'll make it from this battle or not. My only hope is that if.. I die it was heroic or something. I know I won't be remembered for that.. But I do know I will be remembered by someone even if I don't die this time. Someone's going to remember me..'

Anya looks confused at the camera, 'God this had better be on or else.. If I let my heart go on camera it had better well be on..' Then Anya shakes her head and starts off agian.

'I wanted to say.. I found out I was pregnant today and stole this camera from Andrew, the little monkey thinks he's a director now.. Anyway.. I won't tell anyone yet because of the fact if I don't fight and we lose all else is lost anyway. But you won't be.. Willow and I made arrangements, so that if I die she can make sure you make it into the world. She and I had our ups and downs but I think she really understands how important this is to me.. I may not see you grow up into the man or woman your supposed to become and I may see you get old and have children of your own. You may have brothers and sisters, then agian you might be an only child. All I know is I couldn't love you any less now then I ever will, you and your siblings. No one knows what the next second is going to hold. I've lived my life a long time. It's just a matter of time before my luck stops. I wanted to just suggest a few things if I can, things I learned over my extraordinarily long life span. One, if someone hurts you and no matter how much, its only temporary.. The pain will fade away. Don't do anything stupid like wish someone's guts will go kapow!' Anya smiles into the camera. 'As good as it sounds.. Its hell to get out of the carpet and usually u feel worse afterwards. Second..' She looks down and hold a stuffed bunny up pointing to it. 'This.. EVIL.. They act way too innocents to be nothing but.. I mean.. What's with all the breeding?'

Anya tosses the bunny over her shoulder. 'Also.. It isn't the things you get or the money you earned that makes you who you are. It's the ones who trust you and stand behind you. The people that you love and love you back that makes you important to the world. Your going to get hurt little one, and the pain may feel like its going to be forever. But don't let that stop you from loving someone back.. Or enjoying what life can offer you.' Anya sets back and nods. 'Yes.. My most important advice.. Love like there is no tomorrow, because you know what little one.. There might not be.'

Anya sets back and looks away from the camera trying to fight her tears. Then sighs and turns the camera off. Rae sets back in her own chair and stares at the now blank screen. She didn't know what to think now. Her mother, pretty much sent her own message to her children not knowing if she was ever going to make it out or not.

Over the weekend Rae got to know her schedule. Most of it was in the lab department. And it lasted 6 hours at best.

On Monday she spent most of her day in the science department like she was supposed to. Only leaving for lunch and usual breaks. By the time it was over she had exactly 30 minuets to go back to her dorm, change cloths and get across base. Surprisingly it only took her 20 to do all of it.

Rae walks into the gym. She can hear soft music from one office on the side. 'Hello?' She calls out.

No answer so she fallows the music. In one office she sees a girl about her age with head phones on. She calls out agian, 'Hello?'

Still no answer so she taps the girl on the shoulder. Before Rea can react her arm is grabbed and twisted and she is forced into a kneeling position. 'Who are you and what do you want?' The girl asks.

'Victoria Jacobs and as for what I want.. To be in my bed, but we don't get what we want now do we?'

The girl smirks and lets Rea go, 'Sorry bout that cant be all that careful now and day.. More enemies then friends..'

Rea stands up and rubs her arm and twists her shoulder a few time, 'Treating them like that one really has to wonder why..' Rea mumbles sarcastically. 'Who are you anyway.. I didn't get a name on my..'

'My name isn't important..' She looks Rea over a few times, 'Your not gonna be my friend, when this is all over, you'll probably hate me..just like the rest of em. All you gotta know is, I outrank you, I'll be training you. You listen to me and ....we'll get through this without a bump."

Rea goes into the military mode she was taught from the time she was 10. Obey and get it over with.. that was the motto she was taught by her parents in West Virginia. 'Yes ma'am..' Then wonders what she meant by bumps and hoped she meant the buries kind.

The other girl, puts out her cigarette and pops another piece of gum in her mouth, still looking over the girl "So...You have..Any fighting skills at all?"

Rea shakes her head, 'Running.. That is the only sport I'm good at.. Swimming..'

The other girl puts a smirk on her face. 'That's all? You don't have..any military training at all? No..low skilled combat at all??? God where the hell did they pick you up..they said no more civilians... stupid fuckers.. guess this is what I get after the last incident...." She sighs. some laps till I decide what to do with you..since your so good at Running..'

Rea mildly insulted, starts to do streching exercises and mumbles, 'I'm here cause of who my parents are.. Mostly.. Science is in there somewhere but mostly about my parents. Apparently they think gee is that who your parents are.. well lets just see if you have any spical abilities..' Rea leans to the right. 'Any set speed? I can run a mile in 15..'

'Here 'cuz your parents were great so they think you will be too huh? Join the club.. We seem to be gaining more members everyday...and I don't care the gym till I tell you otherwise.' The girl leans on the wall, 'It's not like our parents were all that great, getting them selves killed and all..'

'You too uh?' Rea switches legs, the girl wanted her to run she would run but she wasn't going to pull a muscle doing it. 'Next Gens? Some half wit asked me to get her a spical pass off base.. Can I do that? Do we get spical things cause of who we were born too?'

'No. You don't get special privileges 'cuz your Anya and Xander's kid....you EARN special privileges here kid by working hard and doing what your told. Just like prison...'

'So.. You know who my parents are.. Who are yours?'

The girl sounds like she's getting fed up with all the questions and answers, 'As for my parents.. Just like my name don't matter!'

Rea takes off running. After more then a few laps she feels her legs getting weak. 'So.. If this is all it is can I bring a CD player?'

The girl finally laughs. 'Now you sound more like me..and no. If you bring a cd player in here and the boss walks in I'm in deep shit...so just run till I think of something else to make you do...Im not usually the one they send the rookies too..no idea why they sent you to me..less it was for another sick joke of theirs...assholes...'

Rea just shrugs and keeps running, 'It could be WHO our parents are.. We are supposed to be unique in some way..'

'Im nothing like either of my parents...its not really WHO I am that bothers em..its WHAT I am..hell if it wasn't for the nice warm place to stay, and the free meals, smokes and blood, I woulda' been outta here a long time ago.'

Rea stops running, 'Wait.. What you are.. Blood? Your not one of THOSE things are you?'

The girl looks quite offended at Rae's comment and says, 'Hey you gonna start judgin'? You don't know me or how I am...training's over for today get the hell out of my sight.' The girl walks quickly to her office and Rae can hear a loud bang.

Rae walks into the office, not able to just leave the girl like she is now, 'Look, im sorry I have this terminal case of Foot in Mouth Disease..meaning my foot like to stay in my mouth. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. The way I see it.. You.. And I.. we have to stick together in this. You being one REAL link to what ever my past was... Hey.. I'm sure my parents weren't all that great to start with either u know. I mean my mom's file is like three inches thick and I don't believe its all for being good and heroic'

'Foot in mouth disease...you are just like your mother...and for the record, not a thing. Technically, only a half thing..Im surprised they didn't brief you on me. Usually that's the first thing people learn about here..the big loner freak girl...not like I chose to be this way...fucking mom couldn't keep her pants on.'

Rae shrugs and sets on the floor, 'Yea.. well I'm actually nothing, not anymore. Everyone I know is dead and the ones I should know.. I know them threw pictures.. Hey if our parents were so close maybe we were playmates? You know.. Maybe we shared a crib a few times or you chewed on my teething rings. I bet you stole all my toys when we were little didnt you?'

'No....I didn't know you when you were little...saw pictures...and not too many of them.. besides..I never grew up here. I grew up..somewhere else....but I didn't lie about being born here.. you see, I was what you call an unwanted pregnancy. A Bastard child..I was ditched after I was born..only brought back here when no one else would take me...they figured I'd fit in here with the other freaks...till the freaks all died....' The girl leans back in her chair, thinking.

'I'm sorry.. I grew up in a good home.. But.. HEY! Don't mean thing can't change dose it? And by the way it sounds.. I don't think I would have gotten along so well with my mother either..' Rae picks imaginary lint off her sweat pants. 'She sounds really freaky. I mean.. who is afraid of rabbits?'

'A 1160 year old ex vengeance demon, who has ruled out anything that a NORMAL person would call scary as she had done a lot of that stuff back in her demon days...or just... Anya... she was.. A weird woman...once again, big thing having to do with the ex demon gig...she had been human for years she just...never adjusted I guess...as for the not changing...me not changing isn't the problem, its these close minded assholes around here that need to change things .so what Im half fucking vampire..get over it.'

Rae comments quickly, 'Well see we both come from lines that shouldn't exist.. Right? We're really not all that different.. Wait.. My mother was 1160 years old?'

The girl turns to face Rae agian nodding, 'Yea..used to be some high up vengeance demon... granted wishes to scorned woman...but..your line...everyone kept saying..fate stepped in, made your mom loose her powers cuz she was meant to be with your dad...so very cute and heartwarming...me its like..ABOMINATION! I shouldn't even be here. No idea why I am....."

Rae offers the only answer she could give, 'Fates stepped in?' Then sets and thinks for a second. 'But see.. exactly what I mean, neither of us should exist.. don't know why we do.. but we do.. there is a damn good reason. At least I hope..' Getting lost in her own world once more, 'Lost her powers uh? Explains why the file is so thick..' Getting back on track, 'Anyway.. what is there to do around here when you aren't training, I read the rules about the no alcohol thing.. What do they expect us to do?'

Angela crosses her arms and looks Rae up and down once more, 'Depends, if you prefer to live on the edge a bit..I can show you what the younger, non stuffy ass people around this base do in the off time..'

Rae looks at her and smiles, 'I don't have much of a choice I'm a Next Gen..'

The girl offers her hand to help Rae off the floor, 'Yea well.. We won't tell Auntie Dawn about our not so training session..tomorrow, we do some warm ups, introduction to some basics moves, tonight, we get some dinner, then Ill show you around...and we can do some bonding..' The girl smirks, 'By the way.. Angela..'

'Buffy's daughter?' Rae asks as they walk down out of the gym.

Angela nods. 'Yea.. How'de ya guess?'

Rae shrugs, 'You said you were a Next Gen too.. Your last name is Summers, and u called Dawn by Aunty Dawn.. Just guessed. Also.. I have a memory of your mom and Willow visiting me and you look just like her..'

'Yea..that's me...Angela Summers. Bastard daughter of the ever fabulous hero Buffy Summers and her vampire lover boy..or..one of them...I heard she had more then one..which I don't know..I didnt know the woman all that well..I had only been around a couple years when she died..'

As they walk down a hallway, Rae comments. ''Well.. At least your mother was born in this century.. Actually.. Millennia.. My mother would be the expert on.. the invention of I don't know.. Dirt.. The wheel perhaps? I wish she was around all those history essays I had to write.'

'Well..my mom may be an average this century woman but..my dad was a 290 some odd years old vampire who went evil and tried to kill me and my mom..succeeded in killin a buncha people..friends of my moms..." Angela looks at Rae like she's remembering something. '.. Three centuries.. my mother has seen.. What? 12 come and go..' Rae looks over at her smiling, seeing her face and asks, 'What?'

'Yup...that's my pop..straight up cold blooded killer... Does that make you want to be afraid of me? Cuz of who my father is..or..was. Dusted the bastard myself....still didn't earn me any respect around this dump.'

Rae shakes her head, 'Should I be? I mean from what im told my mother is now an ex vengeance demon cradle robbing, perverted, nymphomaniac with a rabbit phobia.. Almost makes one wonder what my father was like..' Smiles, again to show she is only half kidding, 'You have my respect.. actually would take a lot don't think I could do that if I had to.. Kill one of my parents'

Angela chuckles a little, 'Im told Alex is exactly like him so..I guess hang out with him and you'll see how your father was....have you seen him yet? Alex I mean..'

Rae shakes her head as they get to her apartment. 'I'm been afraid too.. im afraid to.. I don't even know if he knows I exist.'

Angela rolls her eyes. 'Oh he does..trust me...he has been..OBSESSED with finding you and your sister, since your mom died... the big guys wouldn't give him the info...'

'My sister is here too?'

'Yea.. She's around here somewhere.. We found her a few years ago, but I'm guessin her family was like mine, fucked up.. She don't talk about it much.'

After Rae went to her room and changed cloths Angela lead her down the hallway then lead Rae up a long flight of stairs, until reaching the roof door, or what was made to LOOK like the roof door. She turns back to Rae, and asks, 'You ready for this? There's not gonna be a lot of people in there..seeing as only like...4 or 5 people know it actually exists but..just a warning..this is an adult place. If you got any reservations left, chuck em at the door now cuz once you get in, if you leave in a blind panic they'll never let you back in.'

Rae smiles and says, 'Hey.. I just found out my mother was an 11 hundred year old ex demon.. I'm sure I can handle this.'

Angela smiles and knocks slowly 3 times, waiting a second between each knocks. They wait then a small opening in the door, almost invisible unless u were looking for it, opens and a deep voice from the other side says, 'Who goes..'

Angela rolls her eyes and mumbles, 'The Tooth Fairy.. Let us in! Why did u put this thing in anyway? Its not like someone comes up here to start off with.'

The eyes threw the hole keep looking at them. 'What's the password?'

Angela sighs and says, 'The password is if Alex doesn't stop with that lame ass voice and let me in I'll kick his ass to next week.'

After a brief second the voice turns cheery and playful. 'Ok.. Uh.. Good enough..'

Rae finally realizes that voice was her brothers and forgets momentously how to talk. Angela has to tug her into the room. A young man, in his early 20s stands there smiling at the two girls. His brown hair kinda messy and not brushed. His hazel eyes sparkling with mischief, his lips parted into a wide grin. 'How about a kiss Milady.'

'Please Alex. Im not your lady..' Angela steps to the side, 'Stop it! There's someone here you gotta meet.'

Alex closes his eyes and covers them, 'nope..not meeting anyone, not doing nothing till I at least get a peck on the cheek from you Miss Summers.'

Angela rolls her eyes again, 'Did you get into Carters weed again?" Alex doesn't say anything, or budge. Angela rolls her eyes and leans in to kiss his cheek. Suddenly, Alex grabs her forcefully and plants one on her lips, which she returns for a few seconds, before pushing him away "ALEX! Way to molest me in front of your sister!"

Alex's eyes flash open and he lets Angela go taking a few steps backwards, 'Claire's already..' He looks at the girl behind Angela. A slight 'Whoa..' Is all he can manage, the playfulness and mischievous gone from his face. To be replaced by shock."Yea like looking at your mother again isn't it?" She walks over to the other side of the room, to a small bar fridge and takes out 2 beers, offering one to Rae. Rae takes the drink with out looking away from Alex.

'Yea that me.. At least in theory it is..' Rae takes a drink of her beer, not realizing what it really was. The only time she looks away is when she blinks a few times, not to make a face. 'Nice to meet you..' She feels dumb doing it but sticks out her hand to shake her brother's.

Alex takes her hand. 'You have a new name right? I mean, you're not Adrienne anymore I take it.'

'No.. Actually It's Victoria, but everyone calls me Rae.'

A girl come up behind them with a drink in her hand, 'Sounds kind of mannish don't you think?'

Alex steps aside and the new girl steps forward. She was about Rae's height with dark brown hair such as herself, but streaks of red in it. Her clothing was a bit on the gothic side. Alex pulled the girl closer to Rae and said, 'Claire.. This is..'

Claire didn't let him finish, 'Yea.. I heard..' Claire walks around Rae once looking her up and down. 'So.. You are the Adrienne everyone talks about.. Everyone is looking for.. She isn't much..'

Claire stops once she is in front of Rae once more. Then looks at Alex, 'She isn't much at all..'

Alex clears his throat, 'This is our sister..'

Rae nods, 'Yea.. I get that..' Rae stands back against the wall, a bit uncomfortable by Claire staring at her.

Alex finally steps in, saying, 'Claire be nice..'

Clair just shrugs and walks away toward one of bean bags.

Alex apologies to Rae, 'Sorry.. I think she is used to being the only girl..'

Rae watches her sister, It wasn't the happy reunion she was hopping for. The one that was full of hugs and maybe tears. Rae sighs and takes a drink of the beer that was handed too her.

Alex and Rae spent the rest of the evening catching up, mostly her asking about their family or him asking about her childhood and what memories she remembers. Finally she asks the question she has been wondering, 'Alex.. You don't have to answer this if you don't want to.. But uh.. When our mother died.. What happened? I was there obviously but I can't seem to piece it together.'

Alex scratches his head, 'Well.. Um.. It was pretty bad.. Spike was taking Claire and me home, we were at classes.. It was Me, Claire, Spike, Ashlee..' Alex looks like he was drifting back with the memories. 'Suddenly Spike stops us and tells us to stay outside. He was a vampire and he could smell the blood.'

'Why did I stay home?'

'You played sick a lot.. Well, I don't know if you were sick or not, it just seemed a lot.' Alex smiles then starts up agian. 'We walked into the living room.. Then suddenly spike walks out of the room with you and you are covered in blood and he takes all of to Willow's room which was across the hallway. And he's just.. Out of it.. We are sitting in Willow's apartment and Willow walks out and into ours. She comes out and she is frantic then Buffy, Giles and Dawn show up. I remember ALL of them were just.. Out of it like Spike. Like they expect this... Then Willow picks you up and takes you to her bathroom, you had blood all over you. You didn't talk you didn't do anything. We all asked you over and over what happened you didn't even register. I remember Buffy saying you were in shock and that is when Willow took you into the bathroom.'

Rae nods and says, 'I remember.. Being put in this closet and her telling me to stay quiet... I remember hearing a voice.. But, the voice was like.. I know I never heard it before..'

Rae shakes her head, 'That is all I can remember it is coming slowly.'

'Do you remember anything else?'

'No.. OH I do have this memory of..' Rae looks at Alex, questionably, 'You? I chased you with these bunny ears and got in trouble for it..'

Alex is half between smiles and a grimace when he says, 'You did that a lot..'

Rae smiles, 'Don't tell me you fear bunnies too..'

Alex's look on his face is blank, 'Not to lose manly points but bunnies are evil..'

Rae shrugs, 'Ok..'

After another hour Rae finally decides its time for her to leave. She stands up and Alex opens the door for her. After a long hug Rae walk down the hallway to her dorm room.

As she walks in she picks up the box that was left in the attic at home. She opens it and looks at the pictures once more.

'_Where is the girl?'_

_Her mother's voice is shaken but firm, 'Not here.. Leave..' _

_The man's voice is amused, 'Not a chance, She's not the one I want.. Yet, You and I have unfinished business to deal with..' Anya is pushed toward the wall._ _Rae moves closer to the crack to see. She sees the back of a man's head. Brown hair, dark.. Rae swallows and watches as her mother tries to fight off the attacker. Rae finally decides its time to help so she points a finger and concentrates on a pencil on the desk top. It floats clumsily toward her mother and the man finally jetting forward and stabbing the man in the back. The man just lifts his head and looks directly at Rae threw the crack. _

_The man dose something to her mother that makes her gasp, which later Rae learns that he stabbed her in the belly. Then tosses her mother over to the bed. For a second the man is out of site and Rae allows her self to relax just a little. The door is opened and..._

Rae sets up, inside her apartment once more gasping. She breaths deep and looks around. The room is flooded with day light. Rae looks at her watch on her arm and jumps up. It's 8 a.m she is supposed to be at the Lab in 30 minuets. Rae races around to get dressed and rushes out of the dorm room and straight to the Lab.

After her work was done there she returns back at her apartment. The box was still on the table. Rae opens it once more and finds something at the very bottom that she hadn't seen before. A letter. She slowly opens the letter then a small necklace falls out. She holds the necklace up and looks at it. It's a gold necklace with a blackish green crystal. She takes the crystal in her other hand and stares at it, mesmerized by it. It seemed on the inside to be a cloud or smoke just swirling around in the crystal. Finally snapping out of her daze she look back at the letter that covered the crystal necklace. The handwriting was clearly a woman's but none she knew of.

_**Adrienne,**_

_**Please don't hate us for what we did do you. You have to realize you weren't going to move on in life if you remembered all those horrible things that were done to you. Hopefully, by now you can understand what was needed to be done and this letter is more for me then you. This is two years after your mother died. We didn't find you, I knew where you were this whole time. I was the one that did the paperwork to send you all the way across the USA. You and Claire. I don't know if your family lives will be great or what but I know it will be better then what we can provide for you. For what it is worth.. It wasn't that we didn't want you to be with us, it was more, we wanted you to be safe. And we are fighting day in and day out. Our friends were dying left and right at that point. First your mother, then Spike not a week later, then finally Fred.. Ashlee stayed because Buffy took care of things before I could get to them. Buffy and I are on our way to West Virginia. Buffy is hell bent on taking you back with us. She won't. I know this is what your parents would want for you. I only hope that I'm strong enough to do what is needed to be done to keep you where you are. The necklace inclosed is a charm. It's what I used to cast the spell that erased your memories of the first 6 years of your life and the few hours we will talk to you. When you opened the box some memories will leak out because of the fact the box its self had a magical lock on it. It will have soaked up some memories from the crystal. What I tell you, please consider the possibilities of what might happen. Some memories are good I know, but some memories aren't so much. If you really believe you HAVE to remember these things, then here is how to brake the spell: Hold the crystal to the light and tell it, 'Let the spell be ended.' Simple yes but I made sure you can do it at anytime of your life. But remember Sweetie, those memories are only a part of what you were, not what you became. Please use caution with this. And remember we loved you not matter what and we went and will go out of our way to protect you and make sure you are safe. **_

_**Love, Willow **_

Rae looks at the letter for a while and back at the necklace in her hands. She smiles and with out a second thought walks to the window. And in a very clear voice says, 'Let the spell be ended..'

The Crystal swirls around going from back to green to red and then blue until it is engulfed by light and the lights shoot out, knocking Rae against the wall on the other side of the room. Rae sets up and takes a few deep breaths. 'Whoa..' Then looks at herself and mumbles, 'Well that was for nothing...' Then suddenly she stares in to nothing as her mind starts to fill up with 6 years of old memories. Birthday parties, funerals, broken arms and hospitals. She starts to remember most of all, her mother telling her stories. Waking up in bed with her mother, Claire and Alex several nights in a row and not knowing exactly how she got there. Being sick and her mother taking care of her. Willow teaching her how to float a pencil. Buffy catching her after falling because she slipped off the rope after trying to race Ashlee on climbing a rope. Her, Alex, Claire and Ashlee asking endless streams of 'Why?' to annoy Giles. Then trying it with her mom and getting the response, 'Ask Giles.. He is the smart one.'

Then she remember, talking to herself and when asked she would say,

'_Tara mommy..' _

_Her mom getting extremely, upset and telling her, 'Never talk about that person agian.' Confused she stopped talking to her imaginary friend who really always told her not to do something rather then to do something. And almost immediately not seeing her imaginary friend anymore. But remember getting interrogated a few hours later about it._

_Giles puts on his glasses and sets on a desk across from Rae who was setting on a chair. 'Adrienne.. Tell us about Tara?'_

'_Tara?' Rae asks, 'She's really pretty has blond hair. She plays with me when Claire and Alex are at school..' _

'_She plays with you?' Anya asks. 'For how long?'_

_Rae shrugs. 'I don't know mommy, for ever I guess'_

_Then her mother, Giles, Willow, Spike and Buffy start talking to each other and ignoring Rae. Her mother asks, 'Why? Why go after them? They haven't done anything wrong..' _

_Giles points out, 'Maybe the first isn't after them as much as trying to use them to get to us..'_

_Rae asks, 'What's the first?' _

_Still ignoring Rae Willow points out, 'Why use Tara? She's never seen the kids before.. She died over a year before Alex was even born. And why choose Adrienne?'_

_Giles takes off his glasses, 'And it is quiet possible that we aren't dealing with the first either. This might be Tara's way of communicating with us.. Using the children.. Adrienne.. As a receptor. Of all the children we have to admit.. She is the most open, cause of her age and..' Giles, using his glasses point toward Anya. 'Her up bringing.'_

_Anya is slightly offended, 'Can we be sure? That this thing that is talking to Adrienne isn't doing this to hurt her in the long run?'_

'_Who's the first?' Rae asks louder._

'_No.. Anya, we can't. There is no way to be sure that this is actually tara and not the first.'_

_Rae sighs and sets down and waits for the adults to finish arguing. Willow finally speaks up, 'Giles is right. We are just going to have to make sure someone is with the kids day in and day out.' _

_Then spike finally speaks up, 'But.. We do know Tara was good. Tara was better then all of us put together. Isn't it possible that maybe just maybe she is getting threw?' _

_Giles sighs, 'Yes Spike, it is quite possible..' Then Giles turns to face Rae, 'Dose Tara tell you anything?'_

_Rae smirks, 'Tells me what NOT to do. Don't do this.. You'll get hurt.. Don't do that.. You'll get in trouble..'_

_Everyone looks at her confused, 'So.. What your saying.. Tara doesn't tell you what to do.. Just what your not supposed to do?' Giles asks._

_Rae nods. 'Yes.. What is the first?'_

_Spike picks her up finally and puts her over his shoulder like one would put a large sack. 'No one nibblet.. Don't you think its time for you to join your brother and sister?' _

_Rae giggles, instantly forgetting about the first, 'No! They don't want me.. I'm too little!' Spike tickles her softly till she is laughing. 'Stop!' _

'_Spike.. You are going to make her throw up agian.' Her mother warns. _

_Giles, the only one not allowing himself to forget about the Tara problem warned, 'Adrienne.. I think it is best if you forget about Tara. Don't talk to her..' _

_Rae looks up at Giles and asks the question Giles has learned to hate, 'Why?'_

_Giles rolls his eyes, 'Cause she might not be good.'_

_Before Rae could ask agian Spike walks out of the office with Rae still slung over his shoulder. Spike always had a way of making Rae forget. 'Common Nibblet.. Time to find Ashlee..' _

_Rae is set down and she takes off running, 'I know where she is at!' _

Rae stands up out of breath. She picks up the necklace from the place she dropped it at. The crystal went from black to clear. She sighs and sets it on the shelf next to the TV. Then she remembers the name Tara. Realizing she heard it before. Rae opens the desk drawer where she put all the files before. She looks threw the ones that didn't matter before and pulls out several files. Spike, Giles, Rupert.. Finally McClay, Tara. She opens the file and looks it over.

Tara's file was extremely thin. It had one picture of a pretty looking blond. The same one that Rae herself could remember as a child. Rae flips threw the file, finding out Tara was a witch as well. And finds a small death certificate at the bottom of the file. The date said May of 2002. And said the cause of death was homicide due to gun shot wound. Sighing, Rae sets the folder aside.

Rae relaxes a small bit, and lays her head down. Unseen by her the box's top opens slowly. Still not noticing a small cloud of simmering red dust engulfs her. Rae sits up the gasps falling to the floor in a dead faint.

'_Not here.. Leave..' _

_The man's voice is amused, 'Not a chance, She's not the one I want.. Yet, You and I have unfinished business to deal with..' Anya is pushed toward the wall._ _Rae moves closer to the crack to see. She sees the back of a man's head. Brown hair, dark.. Rae swallows and watches as her mother tries to fight off the attacker. Rae finally decides its time to help so she points a finger and concentrates on a pencil on the desk top. It floats clumsily toward her mother and the man finally jetting forward and stabbing the man in the back. The man just lifts his head and looks directly at Rae threw the crack. _

_The man dose something to her mother that makes her gasp, which later Rae learns that he stabbed her in the belly. Then tosses her mother on to the bed. For a second the man is out of site and Rae allows her self to relax just a little. The door is opened and before Rae can react she is grabbed by the neck and hauled out of the closet. Her mother commands the man, 'Leave her alone, Xander!'_

_Rae looks into the man's face. Did her mother just call this man Xander? Wasn't Xander her daddy's name. 'Look at her Anya..' The man, Xander, has a hold on her neck not to choke her just under her chin were she could still breath. 'This is the one that put our guards down.. The one.. That made us so happy..' _

_Rae tries to say, 'Mommy!' _

_Xander brushes a finger against the side Rae's face. He whispers very softly and fatherly, 'It's ok baby girl..' Xander picks her up and holds her on a hip. Rae looks at her mother on the bed. Anya covers her belly with her hand but can't do much more. The man walks over the one of the several crosses around the room. 'See this baby girl? Do you know what that is.'_

_One more look at her mother, Rae whispers, 'It's a cross..' _

'_Do you know what it means?'_

'_It repels vampires..' _

'_Do you know why?' He shifts her so she can't look back at her mother. When he looks at her she shakes her head. 'Anya.. What kind of mother are you..'_

_Anya just mumbles, 'No one know's why..' _

_Xander smiles, 'I do..' He focuses on Rae, 'See baby girl.. It started way back when.. This was a torture device for people, men, women and children all hung on this thing until it was a sign of innocent lives lost. Do you know what power innocents holds? It very powerful..'_

_Rae struggles to look at her mother then Xander grabs her chin. 'I'm talking to you.. God Anya she has your manners..' _

_Anya, her voice weaker, 'Yea.. Well.. That's what happens when her father was never there.' _

_Xander keeps talking to Rae. 'Then.. The Powers That Be.. Sent this man.. He dies on this thing and people go around like it's the greatest thing since light was invented and these two peices of wood gain even more power. See baby girl.. Its all in the symbols. It's not what you believe in.. Or that you believe in it.. It all comes down to what you DO with the power you gain..' _

_Rae looks back at Xander and finds out it turned into the woman that she used to see. Her mother confirms it, 'Tara..'_

_Tara walks away from the cross and over to Anya. 'Look at her Anya..' Tara smiles sweetly. 'She has so much potential.. What can she become? Is she going to save the world or help destroy it? She has the seeds of evil in there. I'm so interested in seeing how it infects her mind, body and soul.. That pure innocent soul.. All of your children Anya.. And your scoobie friends too..' _

_Anya finally manages to up and grab Tara. Tara, with little effort manages to toss Anya across the room this time into the wall. _

'_MOMMY!' Rae yells. _

_Tara carries Rae over to where Anya fell against the wall. 'Anya.. Look at her... I won't hurt her Anya.. She's too interesting..' Tara tries to wrestle with Rae to keep Rae in her arms. 'Common little girl.. Tell me.. Are you going to save the world?'_

_Rae is too busy wanting her mother to notice Tara was talking to her. 'Focus baby girl..'_

_Rae starts to cry, 'Mommy..' _

_Tara gently takes Rae's chin and points it toward her, 'Baby girl..' Then softly and motherly like she whispers, 'You want your mommy don't you?'_

_Rae nods, trying to look at her mother once more but Tara keeps her hold on Rae's chin. Tara smiles sweetly, 'It all in the innocents.. What is she going to do Anya when you aren't there anymore?' _

_With out warning Tara walks closer to Anya and puts her fingers in the wound on Anya's belly. Anya screams in pain, while it makes Rae more scared. Just as fast Tara removes her fingers from Anya's wound and brushes them against Rae's mouth, finally able to push her fingers into Rae's mouth far enough down her throat just make her gag._

'_STOP IT!' Anya yells at Tara. 'Just leave her alone..'_

_Tara removes her fingers from Rae's mouth. 'Look at her Anya.. She has the taste of blood in her now.. What do you think that will do to her? Her blood flows with yours.. What do you think of her innocents now?'_

_Anya closes her eyes for a second when she opens them, 'I think.. She is my daughter.. My blood is already flowing threw her veins.. So I don't think what you do to her makes a difference..' Anya coughs. _

_Tara shakes her head, 'No.. Probably not..' _

_Rae is tossed next to Anya. Rae scrambles toward her mother who puts one arm around her daughters neck. 'Mommy?'_

_Anya whispers softly, 'Shh.. Little one..' She brushes Rae's hair back with the hand that was covering the wound, streaking her face with blood. Rae sees the bleeding wound and remembers what she was taught about cuts. Rae puts her hand on it to try to stop the bleeding. Anya closes her eyes in pain. _

'_What do I do?' Rae asks. _

_Anya tries to smile to calm her daughter down, 'You grow up and be safe little one.. You take care of your brother and sister.. And make sure they know I love them very much too..' _

'_Mommy..' _

_Anya takes a deep breath in and tells Tara, 'Put her back in that closet.. I can't stop you.. She don't need to see what you are going to do.. She will see enough bad things when she is an adult..'_

_Rae grabs a hold of Anya, 'MOMMY!'_

_Tara nods, 'Yes.. Your right..' Tara grabs Rae's arm and pulls her away from Anya. _

_Rae screams, 'MOMMY! No..' _

_Anya just mumbles to Rae, 'I love you little one.. Remember that.. Your brother and sister too..' Anya's voice is weaker and tired._

'_Isn't that sweet?' Tara tosses Rae into the closet and shuts the door locking by using a cross on the way and placing it between the handles. Rae hits the closet door a few times. _

_Finally she covers her ears and cries loudly not to hear the things that are going on outside the closet. _

_After what seemed an eternity the closet door is opened. Rae had moved on to saying the alphabet loudly in different languages. When the door is opened she closes her ears tighter and yells louder. _

'_Hey..' Rae hears the voice but can't recognize who it was. So she yells even louder._

_Spike reaches down and tries to get her out of the closet. Rae gets hysterical and screams._

_Spike holds her arms down and tries to talk to her, 'Adrienne? Look love, it's me, Spike. Not here to hurt, just here to help..promise.'_

_Rae opens her eyes and looks at Spike. She allows Spike to take her out of the closet. Seeing her mother on the floor, a lot bloodier and more stab wounds then she remembered. 'Mommy!'_

_Rae somehow manages to get out of Spike's arm's and she runs over to her mother. Laying her head on Anya's chest, pretty much covering herself in Anya's blood. _

_Spike manages to pick Rae up. They walk into the living room, meeting up with Buffy, Giles and Willow. The whole group moves across the hall way. Dawn and Fred meet up with them there. 'You found her.. Thank god..' Fred puts a hand on Rae's back. 'Sweety?'_

_Rae has an arm around Spike's neck tightly and buries her face in Spike's neck. _

_Buffy points out, 'She's in shock.' _

_Giles takes Rae from Spike, 'What happened, Adrienne? Can you tell us?' _

_Willow takes Rae this time, 'For the sake of Apatha Giles, of course she can't tell us..' Willow faces Rae, 'Lets get you cleaned up Sweetie.. Uh?' Willow nods, Rae looks at Willow blankly._

_Rae can hear the adults starting to argue. Spike says, 'So what now?'_

_Giles says, 'We don't know what killed Anya.. Not with out certain..'_

_Buffy points out, 'The only person that would know for sure would be a traumatized 6 year old..' _

_Giles then says, 'She is going to have to tell us..'_

_Finally Fred says, 'Mr. Giles, did you see her? She wouldn't be able to tell us anything right now.'_

'_Fred's right.. The girl can't even talk let alone tells us what she seen. And for all we know she didn't see anything that closet was locked tight.'_

'_But.. We have to know what she saw if anything.. I mean if the first has taken form anyone of us is next. We HAVE to know what this was..' Giles practically yells._

_Buffy yells back, 'Giles! We have facts to look at. Something came in or was here already.. We know a vampire or demon wouldn't have gotten in with out a full scale red alert.. And the camera's in the hall way showed no one coming in or out of the apartment.. We already know what it was. There is no need to put that child threw anymore EVER..' _

_Rae finally looks at Willow. 'It was daddy.. And Tara..'_

_Willow had already gotten Rae undressed and in the tub and Rae had just been sitting there until now. 'What sweety?'_

'_Mommy called him Xander.. And Tara.. They changed people..'_

_Willow looked extremely hurt for a brief second. Then focus her attention on cleaning up Rae. 'Close your eyes so I can wash your hair..' Rae closes her eyes as Willow finishes up with her hair. When she opens them she can see the bathtub water was stained with pink._

_Rae starts to cough which leads to her gagging. When her stomach settles down Willow picks her up out of the tub. 'I want my mommy..' Rae cries finally._

'_I know sweety..' Willow puts a towel around Rae and picks her up. Taking her directly to Willow's bed room. Rae huddles in a large towel as Willow looks threw her things. Finally turning around Willow holds a long necklace in front of her. 'Adrienne, sweety.. Talk a long look at this please?'_

_Rae stares at the crystal in front of her nose. Willow mumbles a few words and before Rae can ask the crystal goes from clear to grayish. Rae looks up at Willow and point blankly says, 'I'm cold..' _

_Willow smiles softly and puts a small shirt over Rae. Even though it was tight for Willow the shirt dragged around Rae's knees. Willow picks her up and walks with her too the living room. _

_Rae is set down on the couch next to her brother and sister. 'What's going on?' Alex asks her. 'Where's Mom?'_

_Rae shrugs. 'I don't know..' _

_Giles once more tries to talk to Rae when Willow steps in. 'Don't bother she doesn't remember anything yet..'_

_Giles just nods and walks to the other side of the room. Willow comes over to Rae once more, 'Sweety.. Buffy, Fred and I are going to take you to the doctor to make sure you aren't hurt on the inside..' Rae nods and stands up. As she passes by Spike, Willow asks him, 'Do you think you can get some of the kid's cloths? They will need them..' _

_Rae walks with Willow looking back at her brother and sister on the couch. _

_After the doctor examines Rae from head to toe, he picks her up and hands her to Willow. 'Aside from psychological trauma.. She has a few scratches and bruises. The worst of it is around her neck and in the back of her throat... that is going to be the worst of the physical damage.. her trying to eat something for the next few days..' Rae is handed a sucker which she turns her head away from it and looks completely opposite of it, clutching onto Willow's neck with a vice grip. The doctor puts the candy away. 'I don't get why this.. THING didn't hurt her..'_

_Buffy comments while rubbing Rae's head, 'It wasn't after her. It was after her mother..' _

'_But.. Why.. Anya Harris had her moments, but she never done anything to anyone that would..' Buffy and Willow stand up fallowed by Fred, 'We better get her home.. Thank you..' _

'_Here.' The doctor walks toward the desk and hands Fred a bottle. 'This will numb her throat a little.. Don't be surprise if she's not hungry for the next few days..' _

_The next few days were rough on all three Harris Children. Once Alex and Claire found out they were unruly. Rae was more in a daze. Several times Rae would snap out of a daze to find Buffy or Willow's hand waving in front of her face. And Rae would just look at them with a blank expression. _

_Then three days after her mother's death Willow takes Claire and Rae to an office. Claire was fidgety and wouldn't stay still. Rae was just setting there staring into space._

_Her next memory was getting on an airplane with out Willow, Buffy, Alex or Claire with her. It never occurred to her that it was odd. Not after the last few days. Nor did it occur to her that she wouldn't see any one she knew agian for over 13 years._

Images start to blend one into another.. One huge mess for Rae. Finally Rae opens her eyes. She realizes she is laying down and tries to get up and look around. Her head starts pounding and Rae puts her head over her eyes.

Rae feels someone's hands on her arms and jerks to try to see the person, who is slowly coming into view.

'Hey..' The person's voice is familiar but she can't exactly place it, it hurt her head even more to try to think. 'Careful..' She realizes it's a man's voice.

Closing her eyes she mumbles, 'What?'

'Ashlee and Me went to your room to ask you if you wanted to go with us.. And you were passed out on the floor..'

Rae tries to remember the voice and finally it hits her, 'Alex?'

Her brother sets on the bed. 'Yea.. You alright?'

'I'm alive.. The pain tells me that..' Rae blinks and the room comes into view slowly. Alex hands Rae a cup. 'What happened?' Rae accepts the offered cup.

'The doctor says sensory overload..' Alex hands Rae the necklace and note. 'We found this.. And we figured out what happened.. Your not one for warnings are you?'

Rae shakes her head, 'I didn't think I would pass out..'

Alex tries to smile, 'A lot more then passed out.. You were in a coma for three days..'

Rae looks at Alex in disbelief. 'Three days?'

Alex nods, 'Yes three days..'

Rae's headache starts to fade and she sets up. 'Do they know why?'

'Your memories coming all at once.. Also there is a few your brain don't want to remember..'

'Weird..'

There is a soft knock at the door then it opens. 'Hey..' Ashlee come in the room fallowed by Angela and Claire. 'Your awake!'

Ashlee sets a bag on the bed, takes a few things out, then turns it over to dump it out. Angela tells Rae, 'These are a few things ASHLEE thought you might like..'

Rae smiles at the girls and looks threw the things. There was a teddy bear, small balloons that said 'get better soon.'

'Cute.. Thanks' Rae smiles at Ashlee.

Claire sets on the other side of the bed from Alex and Ashlee then hands Rae a cup of her own. 'Here.. This is what Angela thought would be more your style..'

Rae takes the cup, smiling at her sister. It was just a black coffee mug over flowing with some kind of chocolate candy. And wrap up in plastic.

'It's this chocolate coffee stuff, its good and loaded with caffeine-y goodness.' Angela states. 'The docs here think people can survive with out the stuff.. I personally think you can't..' Angela shrugs.

'Aww.. Thank you!' Rae reaches over and hugs her sister.

'No need to get all.. You know.. Emotional.' Claire mumbles. Claire stands up and asks, 'What happened?'

Rae shrugs, 'I can't really tell you.. I found this letter and a spell and.. Poof..' Rae holds up the necklace.

'Do you remember anything?' Angela asks.

Rae looks off trying to piece together the massive amounts of memories. Ashlee warns, 'Hey.. Don't go comma-ed on us agian..'

Rae looks at her, 'I won't.. I do remember..' Rae tries to think of how to tell them. 'I remember when our mother died..' Rae wasn't sure but she thought she saw each one of them lean closer, in anticipation.

'Well?' Claire asked, when she thinks Rae had enough time to think it over.

'Um.. It was dad.. Dad was the one that killed her.. That's his name, Xander right?'

Alex nods. 'Yes.. But..'

Rae interrupts, 'And Tara..'

Angela asks, 'Two people were there?'

Rae shakes her head, 'No.. At one second its him, I remember looking back and it's her.'

'What else?'

'I remember Tara telling me, or mom.. That the seed of evil is in all of us and that she was interested in seeing how it infected us.'

'Who's Tara?' Angela asked.

'A girlfriend of Willow's at one time... She died before Alex was born..' Ashlee pointed out.

Rae who was in the middle of a drink of water nearly chokes, 'Wait.. Willow's girlfriend?'

'Yea.. She got shot over a year before... Willow went all dark and crazy..' Ashlee says. 'Huge drama.'

Rae nods. 'I didn't know that..'

The door opens once more and this time Dawn walks into the room. 'Finally woke up?'

Everyone jumps off the bed and stands up as Dawn walks closer to the bed. 'Yea..'

Dawn picks up the note and glances at it quickly then sets it aside. 'So.. Remember anything?'

Rae glance over Dawn's shoulder and sees Ashlee shaking her head, 'Um. No.. Sorry not yet.. The spell didn't work.'

Dawn gives her a look and shrugs, 'Ok..' Then Dawn stands up and announces, 'Everyone out.. She needs rest.'

Ashlee mumbles, 'She just slept for three days.. How much more can she need?'

Dawn give Ashlee the look and everyone starts to leave. Alex give Rae an awkward hug and leaves the room, Fallowed closely by Dawn. Rae sighs and closes her eyes.

'Hey.. Wake up..' Rae opens her eyes to the voice. 'There you are..'

The blond woman sets on the bed and touches Rae's face. 'You feeling better?'

Rae stares at the woman. 'Yes.. I know you...'

The woman takes a needle from her pocket and prepares it to put in an IV. 'Of course.. You don't recognize your own mother?'

Rae's eyes go wide as she remember, 'But..'

Anya nods, 'Yes.. I know..' The hand with the needle rests on her lap for a second. 'Dead..'

'But..'

Anya looks at Rae and smiles sweetly, 'Shh.. Mommy just needs to know what you remember..'

Rae opens her mouth and closes it. 'About?'

Anya just moves back to the machine and inserts the needle. 'This won't hurt you at all, baby girl.'

'Baby girl? That's what..'

Rae watches as Anya morphs into Xander, 'Yea.. Well, it's just a technicality.'

Rae sets up and asks, 'What are you?'

Xander looks surprised, and pauses for a second. 'You don't know?'

Rae shakes her head, 'No..'

'Are you sure you were never told..'

Rae rolls her eyes, 'No.. If I knew something that turned into dead people, believe me I would remember that..I mean.. That's not something that just slips from your memory...'

Xander sighs. He leaves the needle in the machine and sets on Rae's bed. 'I guess I'm not as important as I used to be.. Everyone was all.. The First this.. The First that.. Everyone seemed to know me on sight..'

Rae widens her eyes once more, 'Wait.. YOU'RE The First?'

'You do know?'

Rae shakes her head, 'I know of you, yes.. But not details..'

'Yeah.. Well..' Xander stands back up and moves toward the IV pump once more. 'Work to do..'

'Wait!' Rae tries to reach out to stop him and he pushes her down, effortlessly with one hand.

'This won't hurt.. In fact makes you feel really good. So set back and enjoy the high and tell me what you know..' Xander morphs back into Anya as Rae can feel the drug enter her veins. 'It will be cold at first.. But that is normal..' Anya sets back down on Rae's bed and waits for the drug to take effect.

Rae closes her eyes as the drug in her system takes effect. After a minuet Anya leans over and taps her chin. 'Ok, Sweetie... Time to wake up agian'

Rae opens her eyes and smiles, 'Hey!' She says sweetly.

'Ok.. Now.. Tell Mommy what you remember..'

'Um.. About what? I remember a lot of things.'

Anya smiles, 'Ok.. Tell me what you remember about me.'

Rae thinks for a second. 'You were a Capitalist.. Nymphomaniac Ex Demon with a rabbit phobia..'

'About my death..' Anya seems unamused.

'OH.. That.. Why should I have to tell you about that.. You were there.'

'Who killed me sweety?' Anya looks as though her patients was running thin. 'Do you remember anything about my death?'

Rae nods. 'Yes.'

Anya looks at her for a second and snaps, 'Well.. What?'

'You died.. Hey.. Your dead.. That is kinda cool.. You being dead and talking to me right now.. I mean, I'm not crazy am I? I don't..' Rae's voice drops down to a whisper. 'See dead people..'

Anya grabs Rae's chin and mumbles, 'Focus Sweety..'

Rae continues to look at Anya extremely close. Anya lets go of Rae's chin and then asks, 'What?'

'You have freckles..'

Anya groans and sets back, pushing Rae back softly. 'Never trust a human..' Anya sighs and turns her attention back on Rae. 'Ok.. Now back to the task at hand.. Who killed me?'

'You don't know? You said their names your self.. Xander and Tara..' Rae thinks for a second. 'Hey.. They were dead.. That means it was you that killed.. You.. Not cool.. Not one bit cool. By the way.. Cause you know, I kinda liked my mom.. Is it true what the other kids said about you and Willow?'

'Yes.. Now what did Xander and Tara tell you?'

Rae exclaims, 'NO WAY.. You were gay? My mom was a lesbian.. Sounds like a movie of the week, uh?'

Anya looks at Rae strangely then sighs, 'You know what.. This is getting me no where..' Anya grabs Rae by the hospital gown and pulls her so their faces are just centimeters apart. 'What was said?'

Rae looks at Anya for a second then laughs, 'Your nose still wrinkles up when your mad.. Can you still do that vain thing?' Rae points to Anya's forehead. 'Cause you know.. That was funny.. Claire, Alex and I used to aim for that..'

Anya pushes Rae into the bed once more, in frustration. 'Ok.. Fine..' Anya stands there thinking for a second. But before she can do anything else Rae's door opens. 'Damn it.'

Anya disappears. Rae calls out, 'Hey.. Don't go.. Everyone will think I'm crazy..er..'

Alex and Ashlee walk into the room concerned showing on their face. 'You alright? Her brother asks.'

Rae smiles sweetly, 'Yes.. Of course!' Rae steps out of the bed, setting her feet on the floor and stumbling. 'Whoa!'

Alex grabs Rae before she hits the ground. 'Are you sure?' Ashlee asks.

'I am fine..' Rae tries to gain her footing. Then turns and tells her brother. 'Your cute.. If you weren't my brother..' Smiles sweetly at him, 'But from where I am from..'

She notices that neither Ashlee or Alex look amused. 'You know.. No one gets that joke..'

Alex helps Rae back onto her bed as Ashlee rummages around in a desk drawer. As Ashlee walk up to Rae she warned, 'Stay still.. I don't want to scratch you..'

Rae didn't pay much attention to Ashlee until the needle went into her arm. 'Ow.. That hurt..'

Ashlee pulled a small amount of blood out of Rae's arm as Alex asks, 'What are you doing?'

Ashlee shrugs and pulls the needle out of Rae's arm and covers it with a towel. 'Nothing..'

As Ashlee puts the vile in her pocket Rae mumbles, 'Hey.. I need that..'

'I can run a few tests.. I don't know her all that well but I have a feeling this isn't right.. And there isn't anything written in her charts about any medication.'

Rae folds her arm and glares at Ashlee, 'Vampire..'

Ashlee pats Rae's shoulder, 'Raised by one..'

'Mom is putting stuff in me.. You are taking it out.. What's up with that?'

The statement gets both Ashlee and Alex's attention, 'Mom?' Alex asks. 'What about mom?'

'What about mom what?' Rae stands on her feet again. 'Mom was here.. Dad was here.. Mom came back.. Asked me about her death..' Rae points at Alex. 'That was strange, she wanted me to tell her about her dying.. I told her, You were there.. You would think she would remember, right?'

Alex nods at Rae, then focuses on Ashlee, 'The First?'

Ashlee nods herself, 'Probably.. But.. Why would it go to so much trouble?'

'Maybe it thinks Rae saw something?'

'Or it said something..'

Rae watches both talk back and forth, 'I'm still here you know?'

'Sorry..' Alex mumbles as he tries to get Rae to set back in her bed.

'Stop it.. I want to stand..' Rae pushes Alex away from her. Then tries to look at her back. 'These aren't those gowns that tie around the back is it? I mean.. I don't want my ass showing..' She stumbles once more as she loses her balance, still trying to look at her back.

'Ok.. Now sit please?' Alex grabs Rae once more, this time Rae sets down. 'Ashlee, how fast can that test be done.'

'I'll be back in an hour or two..' Ashlee leaves the room with out another word being spoken between them.

Rae watches Ashlee leave the room and then asks her brother, 'Are you dating her too?'

Alex looks at Rae confused, 'No.. Why do u think I should be?'

Rae shrugs, 'That's up to you brother.. All up to you..'

Alex sets on the bed as Rae gets more comfortable. The scilence between the two was extreamly uncomfortable, more so for Alex then Rae though.


End file.
